Prayut reflects on PM term: Thailand’s journey to progress

Outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha concluded his nine-year term, taking to Facebook to share his reflections and achievements. He described the tenure as the most significant and memorable of his life. Prayut highlighted Thailand’s considerable progress, attributing its development to nine specific areas.

Under Prayut’s leadership, Thailand initiated an unprecedented 20-year national strategy, directing the country’s trajectory and ensuring the execution of key policies. The government invested heavily in national infrastructure, including land, rail, sea, and air transport, crucial for economic growth. The ultimate goal was to transform Thailand into a hub for aviation, transport, and tourism.

Investments were also made in digital and platform economies, strengthening telecommunications infrastructure, including 5G technology. As a result, Thailand is now transitioning towards becoming a regional hub for 5G, data centres, and cloud services, one of Prayut’s goals. These developments have led to improvements in living standards and income.

Twelve industries have been identified as future industries, with the government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and special economic zones already in operation, fostering more specialised labour skills.

Furthermore, backbone systems were introduced to manage key resources such as water, land, and forestry. Initiatives like the One Map programme were launched to address land overlap issues and assist in reallocating plots to landless farmers.

Various funds were established to enhance the welfare of vulnerable groups and ensure equal access to education. Prayut endorsed legal reforms that were undertaken to eliminate obstacles to national development and enhance Thailand’s competitiveness. These reforms made doing business easier, attracted foreign investment, and standardised law enforcement.

The country’s bureaucracy was modernised, introducing new technology to streamline services offered to citizens. The state welfare cards and Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) Plus scheme were among the services enhanced during Prayut’s term as prime minister of Thailand.

Lastly, the government fortified relations with countries worldwide through bilateral and multilateral engagements and Free Trade Agreement signings. Notably, diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Thailand, strained for a long time, were normalised in January 2022 during Prayut’s visit to Saudi Arabia.

Prayut acknowledged the past nine years were not without challenges for the people of Thailand. Global disputes impacted energy prices, cost of living, and inflation. However, he expressed his confidence in Thailand’s future.

“I’m truly confident Thailand will not go back to square one and that everything we’ve built will be expanded upon. That will push us forward toward triumph.”

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